Enough talk already

Finally, after four months of wondering what the 2007-08 Rangers might look like, we will get our first glimpse tomorrow. Granted, it isn’t much — just the first day of scrimmages and practices at training camp. But it at least beats scrawling out line combinations on a napkin.

What we know:

That Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr will be paired together on the Blue squad in an effort to develop some chemistry, while Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan will skate on the Green team for the same reason. That alone is worth watching. But maybe we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, either. I remember watching Shanahan and Jagr skate together in a pre-season game last year and I was convinced that line was bound for greatness.

Of course, I was young and inexperienced back then. Now I’m much smarter.

Meanwhile, thanks to my man Carpie for passing along these quotes from Darius Kasparaitis, who was painfully honest about the travails of last year, and his efforts to revive his career.

“It was emotionally Ã¢â‚¬â€a divorce, injuries. Ã¢â‚¬â€I was just tired from all the pressure in life,” he said. “Then I realized that, ‘What else is there going to be in life besides being in hockey and playing hockey?’ Then the night of the panic attack in Hartford, after practice, I kind of felt, Ã¢â‚¬â€I don’Ã¢â‚¬â„¢t know if it was depressed, but I just didn’Ã¢â‚¬â„¢t feel right.

“Glen called me and said, ‘Ã¢â‚¬ËœYou’Ã¢â‚¬â„¢re a top player; get yourself back and start training.Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I basically felt I didn’Ã¢â‚¬â„¢t belong in Hartford, and I wasn’Ã¢â‚¬â„¢t here. I was like in the middle of nowhere with a team.Ã¢â‚¬?”

Unfortunately, that’s where Kasparaitis is now seeing how the numbers in New York only work against him. But he still said the incentive is to make the decision difficult for management.

“I prepared myself for that,” he said. “At the same time, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢’s all up to me. If I go back and play great, eventually somebodyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s going to need a D. I know I can do that. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢’m not going to give up right now.”

14 Comments

So the (at least initial) line combos are revealed, and as was suspected, Gomer & Jags will start off together. Here’s to hoping that they’ll click right away, and that the same goes for Shanny & Dru!

Also, BB states that Straka is kinda alone on the Green Team, which would kinda indicate to me that if Dubi or AA don’t step up, that Straka will be filling that vacant center spot, while Hossa will be moving up to the top line along side Gomer & JJ. Interesting…I suspected as much, that they hope Hossa will perform will on that top line.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“At the same time, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s all up to me. If I go back and play great, *eventually somebnodyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s going to need a D.*

Sounds to me like he’ll request a trade if he doesn’t make the team. I wouldn’t blame him. Even if he doesn’t make our team, there are teams that are in desperate need of a physical D-man to help them out.

Here’s a cap question, and a dirty cold beer to the first person that can answer it:

If we assign Kaspar to Hartford, his salary doesn’t count against our cap. What happens if we trade him from Hartford, but agree to pay some of his salary: does it then count against our cap, even though he was a non-cap counting player for us? My inclination is yes, but hey, you never know.

Doodie – why would we do that short of getting a number one pick from a bottom feeder team. as it is some of Shanny’s numbers will hit next yr. so we should not take any hit on kaspars salary to our cap unless he’s actually playing for the boys in blue. and if Kaspar goes down to minors we’ll have to keep him there or 1/2 his remaining salary will count vs our cap.

I also don’t think teams can pick up the salary like Wash did for Jagr since that preceded this cba. i thought this cba closed that loophole.

1. Jagr already got a good playmaker in his LW Straka
2. Jagr needs another shooter/scorer on his line (Drury)
3. Gomez is best with players that go to the net, like Gionta, while he and Straka could develop a good chemistry and maybe often go on 2 on 1 rushes, I don’t see him having much chemistry with Jagr. Hossa would fit Jagr more, because Jagr cares more about cycling and puck possession than he does about scoring.

“THE SCORE: reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have invited former Ranger and Wild forward Adam Hall to training camp, while former San Jose Shark centre Mark Smith has been invited to the NY Rangers camp.”

All of the training camp rosters I have seen have left Smith out. Anyone know anything about this. I figure the guy has a one-way ticket to Hartford or Charlotte if they decide to keep him, but it’s still important.